


Height Differences

by syriala



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Height Differences, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 21:57:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15715878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/pseuds/syriala
Summary: Peter didn’t quite know when it had happened, but six years were a long time and Derek had still been growing when the fire had happened. So, it really shouldn’t be that big of a surprise to see that Derek was now a few inches taller than Peter, but somehow it caught him by surprise whenever he noticed it.





	Height Differences

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Topbun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Topbun/gifts).



> There was a very relevant conversation on the Steter Discord server, and I just had to write this.

Peter didn’t quite know when it had happened, but six years were a long time and Derek had still been growing when the fire had happened. So, it really shouldn’t be that big of a surprise to see that Derek was now a few inches taller than Peter, but somehow it caught him by surprise whenever he noticed it.

Peter had always known that Derek would end up taller than him, and so he had cuddled the shit out of Derek when he was still smaller, because he knew forehead kisses would never be that easy again. But thanks to the fire and the resulting coma Peter didn’t have a chance to experience Derek growing taller than him.

It was still something Peter felt robbed of.

He had always imagined how it would be like to not have to bend down to kiss Derek, how it would be like for Derek to be the same height before he would eventually grow taller than Peter, and he had missed it.

He had completely missed it, because now Derek was already taller than him.

Even after everything that had happened, they had fallen easily into their relationship again and while they still fit perfectly together it had been a bit of an ordeal to figure out _how_ they fit. It was an easy adjustment though, at least on Peter’s part.

Derek still hunched over more often than not, trying to make himself smaller than Peter and every time it happened Peter was baffled. He loved that Derek was taller than him, but it seemed like Derek didn’t quite enjoyed it the same way.

He still curled up small at night in bed, trying to tuck himself under Peter’s chin, even though it must get uncomfortable after a while to curl up like that. Still, Derek did it every night without fail. Peter let it go on for a few weeks before he finally had enough.

The last straw was when Stiles insisted that they take a picture of the pack to put up in the newly build house. When Peter had seen that Derek was standing slouched over, head slightly lower than Peter’s, Peter decided that they needed to have a talk.

“Derek,” he said as soon as he came home, and he followed the answered “Here,” to their living-room.

“We need to talk, because you are being an idiot,” Peter declared, and Derek stared wide-eyed at him.

“About what?” he carefully asked, shoulders already tensed, and Peter ran a hand over them, to relax them. He didn’t want to worry Derek, but this needed to be resolved.

“You’re always pretending like you’re still shorter than I am,” Peter started, and he just had to lean down to kiss the blush creeping up on Derek’s cheeks.

“I know that I am not,” Derek mumbled, and Peter sighed.

“What you obviously don’t know is that I am absolutely delighted that you are taller,” Peter said, and Derek seemed almost startled by that.

“You are?” he asked, voice unsure and Peter nodded.

“I always knew that you would end up taller than me and I was looking forward to that. I’m sad I missed the development, but I am absolutely into you being taller,” Peter promised him and pulled Derek up from the couch.

He nuzzled into Derek’s neck, delighted in the way he just had to duck his head the tiniest amount to fit there.

“I thought you would mind,” Derek whispered, and Peter pulled back.

“Do I smell like I mind?” he asked, because apparently words weren’t going to cut it here.

Derek leaned forward to press his nose to Peter’s temple, forward not down and Peter shivered at that thought, and took a deep breath.

“Not really,” Derek said with a cheeky smile as he pulled back and Peter slapped his shoulder.

“Understatement of the year,” Peter said. “So, you better stop pretending to be smaller. I want pictures where the difference is visible,” he told him and nodded towards the picture on their wall, where Derek was most certainly not as tall as he should be.

“Noted,” Derek said and pulled Peter down on the couch, tucking him into his side and Peter went boneless against him, content to be held by Derek.

After that, things changed.

Derek no longer ducked down or hunched over, but he stood straight, head held high and sometimes Peter had to almost go up on his tip-toes to be able to kiss Derek. He would never admit to the fact that this made him all hot and bothered but going by the heated kiss he always received Derek was clearly picking up on that.

He also started to drop forehead kisses on Peter. It was something Peter had done to Derek when he had still been smaller and the first time it had happened, Peter had frozen in surprise.

Derek walked up to him, lightly grabbing his biceps and dropped a kiss to Peter’s forehead.

“What was that for?” Peter asked, once he found his voice again, long after Derek had walked away.

“You used to do this,” Derek said with a shrug. “I remember loving that, and I thought maybe you would, too. I can stop if it bothers you though,” Derek quickly added, and Peter scoffed.

“How often do I have to tell you that I am totally into this?” Peter asked and walked up to him, head slightly bent. “Do it again,” he demanded.

Derek did, guiding Peter with a light grip on his biceps and Peter settled his hands on Derek’s waist. He hummed slightly as Derek pressed his lips to his skin and when Derek pulled back he couldn’t help the low whine that left his throat.

Derek chuckled slightly and dropped another kiss to his cheek before he pulled Peter into a real kiss. Something pleased and warm settled in Peter’s stomach when he had to tilt his head back, had to strain slightly up so that it would be more comfortable.

Derek had always been very responsive to forehead kisses before and now Peter totally saw the appeal. He would get addicted really quick, if Derek made a regular thing of them.

And of course, Derek did, once he realized how Peter loved them. Whenever he passed Peter, he drew him in, hand always on his biceps and pressed a lingering kiss to Peter’s forehead. He did it in greeting too, whenever one of them came home and it wasn’t long before Peter anticipated it.

He was slightly bending his head, hands already reaching out, before Derek even stepped into his space.

“You really do love this,” Derek mumbled one day, lips still against Peter’s willingly presented forehead, and Peter’s hands flexed on Derek’s hips.

“Yes,” Peter rasped out and Derek gave him another kiss before he tilted Peter’s head up to claim his lips.

The pictures changed, too. Whenever someone took some of them together, Derek was now standing tall and proud, Peter pulled close to his side, so that the height difference was even more noticeable.

Peter always smiled softly on these pictures, absolutely pleased that Derek had stopped hiding, and he put all of them up. He loved looking at them, loved to see the inches that separated them. It was easy to see why Derek enjoyed giving him the forehead kisses; they had the perfect height for it.

Another change happened in their bed.

Derek was no longer trying to curl up small in front of Peter, trying to fit himself into a space he no longer comfortably fit in. It had taken a bit of prodding on Peter’s part, because it turned out that Derek still loved being held, but Peter could do that from his position tucked under Derek’s chin too.

But now Derek also sometimes slid in behind Peter, tucking him into the folds of his body and spooning the hell out of him.

He had been hesitant the first time, but Peter had quickly put a stop to that.

Derek had reached out for him with almost shaking hands and had slowly pulled Peter close. Peter hadn’t noticed at first, already half asleep but when he did he was suddenly wide awake.

“Derek,” he said. “Are you trying to spoon me?” he asked, and he felt Derek tense behind him.

“Maybe?” he gave back, and Peter rolled his eyes.

“The correct answer is ‘Hell, yes’,” he said and scooted back on the bed himself, pressing against Derek and slinging his arm over his middle, snuggling into the body behind him.

“I take it you like this,” Derek said with amusement, tightening his grip on Peter.

“I have waited for this ever since I told you I liked the height difference,” Peter admitted, and Derek chuckled.

“Of course you have,” Derek muttered and lightly dragged his teeth over Peter’s neck. “Could have said something,” he said between bites and Peter shivered.

“Not too many changes at once,” he gave back and arched into Derek’s teeth. “Need to savor all of them.”

He felt Derek shake his head behind him, but he kissed Peter’s hair again before he sighed contentedly.

“I do love this too, you know,” Derek said, and Peter realized that this was the first time Derek had said it.

Before this it had always been Peter saying it, and he loved hearing that Derek enjoyed this as much as he did.

“I’m glad you grew up tall,” Peter said lowly, already dozing off again, being held close by his mate.

“Me too,” Derek said into his hair and it was the last thing Peter hear before he fell asleep.

Waking up with Derek at his back was also a very delightful experience.


End file.
